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But Zoe if that's the case then it has to be commented on - why does this unease about desire and the 'I' afflict women poets? I mean all that chick lit dripping off the shelves (not that I've read any but I suppose it fairly racy stuff - yes?) - all those rampant women on shows like Big Brother etc I mean young women today aren't intimidated or shy about being up front and in your face about sex and desire - nor older ones if we include Edwina Curry! . G. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Zoe Brigley" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006 4:26 PM Subject: Re: Oxford Conference Thank you to those on the list who were concerned about DIRT DISHER WORLD EXCLUSIVE. Luckily I have a good sense of humour. Thanks for what you said Desmond too. I think that this discussion about women poets and the 'desiring I' has lost the point where it began. I interpreted the 'desiring I' as simply referring to an active lyric voice rather than use of the monologue or a passive lyric voice. I don't think that it suggests that there are a lack of women writers, or literary expression of sexual/erotic passion, or a 'reality' to be dropped onto the work of unsuspecting poets. It is simply another way of looking at activity or passivity in the lyric poem. Although I love Mina Loy's poetry, I think that only some of her work shows this idea of 'desiring I'. For example, consider the passive speaker in 'Three Moments in Paris': Beautiful half-hour of being a mere woman The animal woman Understanding nothing of man But mastery and the security of imparted physical heat Indifferent to cerebral gymnastics etc. This passivity is not a bad thing particularly. The point that Bertram was making is that some woman may find it difficult in some cases to write a 'desiring I'.